Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Another month has come and gone, and so it’s time for another round of support and commiseration with my favorite group of online writers. This bloghop is a chance to share, collaborate, and, if you’re in need, seek comfort. So, if you haven’t already signed up, click on the link and get started.
On to what I’m focused on this month – editing.
I don’t know how everyone else does it, but I’m working on the final passes through my manuscript, and it’s taking me much longer than I originally thought it would. I thought I’d be knee-deep in world-building and outlining my next project when July reared its head, but as it stands, I’m still halfway through pass three in my final edits and polishing. Don’t get me wrong – these passes have been quite productive, and I feel like my scenes are gaining depth and nuances that simply weren’t there at any other time during the three-year creation process, but I still have a couple of more weeks before they’re completely finished.
This leads me to my questions: How does everyone else edit? Does it ever go as quickly as you think it should? Or do you find yourself making pass after pass each time with an eye toward a different aspect of your storytelling?
Next up: Weekly News.
For those of you who don’t know, I have a new weekly focus on weird and/or interesting news pieces that I find. I love watching and reading about the reality that surrounds, and in many a case, beats out even the best fiction for slap-my-forehead responses. So, without further ado, here’s what I found this week:
First up is a little, tiny case of overkill. Now I know some people are afraid of spiders, but isn’t a raging fire just a tiny bit worse?
Next up, um… there, there Mr. Thief. You’d think that in order to actually commit crimes, you’d have to develop a little toughness. You’d think. *Roll eyes* Guess this robber didn’t get that memo. What a doofus.
The final tidbit for my feature today is science related because I’m a big ol’ science dork, that’s why. 🙂 So cool! Don’t try this at home kids.
Last, but certainly not least, is an announcement from my friend Lexa Cain. She’s got a great new feature she’s rolling out on her blog called Friday Freebies. Here’s the spiel about it:
I’m gonna start doing “Freebie Friday” on my blog to spread the love of FREE STUFF! If anyone’s book or novella is free, or if you have a free service, contest, or giveaway – please write me/PM/comment/whatever so I can plug you and your “Freebie” on my blog.
kimlajevardi 
I dislike editing, mostly because I’d rather be writing!
Editing can be a pain sometimes. But when you get to write in whole scenes, that part marries the best of both worlds. The straightforward writing side of the gig is still the best though. I’m with you there. 🙂
Wow @ the crying thief.
I edit while I revise because I can’t help it, and then I’ll do 3-6 passes of plain editing. They seem to go slow, when in reality It takes days because that’s pretty much all I’m doing. In fact, I’m going through an editing weekend, in the middle of my third pass right now.
I also edit while I revise, but not much during the writing phase. Doing binge editing sounds like a great way to get a lot done, but doesn’t it make you cross-eyed? I find myself totally focused on editing when doing full manuscript edits, but I do it in bursts with something totally different in between. Like, I’ll edit for an hour and then work out, or edit for an hour and then shower. Several of those bursts and breaks and suddenly the day is gone, and I’ve spent three-four hours cumulatively editing.
Editing for me usually involves about 100 passes through my book. I finally just have to stop.
A hundred passes is a lot, but I guess it depends on what your definition of what a pass is. I’m in pass three of word-for-word full manuscript passes after having written, revised, rewritten, re-revised, and then written some more. So, ultimately, the number of passes increases exponentially if you include all partials and go back to the first draft. It makes my head hurt. 🙂
I have no idea how I edit. That probably isn’t a good thing…
Do you have an informal style? Or do you outline like crazy, so there’s less revision and editing elements afterwards?
I now make passes where I focus on different aspects of the manuscript. I find I edit more effectively that way. One pass may be to pump up the descriptions for my scenes, another to insert more sensory details, another to make sure my characters stay consistent in their dialogue, thoughts and actions. Good luck with your edits! You’ll get there!
That’s kind of the approach I’ve been using. I agree about it’s effectiveness, but it is definitely more time consuming than I anticipated. Thanks for commenting!
I can honestly say I’m not a big fan of editing and I will finish a book and put it off for months. Sadly, my November NaNo novel is still unedited and hasn’t been touched since I finished it. But with my current MS, I’m actually finally enjoying editing! Still slow, but I like it. Good luck with your editing!
Glad to hear you’re enjoying your current edits. Maybe once you finish those, you’ll have the motivation to edit your Nano WIP. Thanks for commenting!
There’s no crying in theft!
Sorry, yeah, editing is one of the easiest phases and takes the least amount of time for me. And since I’m on my fourth book, I know my pace. Although I thought my latest one would take longer.
Don’t worry – even if it takes a little longer, you know it will be right.
Thanks, Alex! Even though it is taking longer, it is making my manuscript better. I’m actually falling back in love with my story again. 🙂
I kind of like it. Editing. So shoot me, but tidying up a manuscript is exciting to me. It’s a chance to dust off that prose so it shines, peel away the tacky characterization and substitute the really powerful stuff and add the missing scene or delete the one that doesn’t move the story forward.
I’m starting to feel like I’m falling into the club of editing lovers. It didn’t start out that way. My first pass through made me want to hurl the manuscript out the window. But after making some changes and really focusing on the scenes individually, I’m remembering what I love about my characters and the storyline as a whole.
Editing. Aarrrggghhhh. I’ve been on one chapter 2 weeks now. I’m doing all the passes at once, but with this chapter it’s like trying to polish mud. Every time I improve 1 thing, I see another 2 that need fixing. But I know my craft has improved (from a lot of reading I’ve been doing recently) and when that happens, I start getting insanely picky about revisions and am also slower at fixing because it’s “new” craft to me. Hasn’t that women ever heard of killing a spider with a shoe?? And the kid with the pyro music definitely has too much time on his hands. Thanks for the shout out! I haven’t got any freebie volunteers yet, but it’s not like someone’s grading me on it. lol
Don’t throw anything at me, but aside from it taking longer than I planned, I’m actually kind of digging the depths of my scenes with this current editing pass. You’ll remember that I DID NOT feel that way after editing pass number one, but now I do. Maybe you need to go back to separate editing passes for sanity’s sake.
Shoe’s seem so much more intelligent than fire, but what do we know?
You’re welcome! Someone will come along. Maybe someone from IWSG.
Revising is the hardest part of writing, but it can also be the most thrilling, so I’m told. I’m about a third of the way through a third pass on my novel, and I’m NOT feeling too thrilled. :-0
During the first third of my first pass, I wanted to throw the whole thing out of the window. I think it depends what your focus is for that pass, or maybe you need chocolate. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
I hate to edit.. I take forever on round 1 and 2. But by the third time I am fried and run through it. I am not conventional either. I pretty much am doing a darn near rewrite by the first time through. So yes. It always takes me longer. Good luck!
Thanks. Editing is both a gift and a curse.